Department of Justice

Passaic County, New Jersey, Man Sentenced To Two Years In Prison For Illegally Possessing Machineguns

NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for possession of multiple machineguns, which are illegal under federal law, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Mariusz Cebula, 36, Ringwood, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to an information charging him with one count of knowingly possessing five machineguns, which are defined as weapons that can shoot more than one shot automatically, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger. Judge Wigenton imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.

According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Cebula admitted that he possessed five machineguns, but agreed to forfeit to the Government an additional 12 machineguns and machinegun parts, all of which were possessed illegally, as well as 10 other firearms and firearm parts. The five machineguns specifically charged in the information were determined to be readily operational as automatic weapons, meaning that they required no modification to shoot more than one shot automatically by a single function of the trigger and without manual reload. Cebula obtained most of the firearms through purchases at gun shows from unlicensed gun sellers and on the Internet.

Besides the machineguns charged in the information and forfeited by him, Cebula also possessed numerous other firearms, weapons and ammunition, all of which have been administratively forfeited by the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office. According to data published by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the town of Ringwood ranked number six on the list of top ten cities in New Jersey where guns were seized in 2015, behind Newark, Paterson, Trenton, Jersey City and Camden. Of the 93 recovered guns that propelled Ringwood, New Jersey to the sixth spot on the list, the overwhelming majority (approximately 80) were recovered from Cebula’s home.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentenced Cebula to three years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Scott C. Curley, and the Ringwood Police Department, under the direction of Chief Joseph Walker, with the investigation leading to the charge. He also thanked the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes, for its role in the case.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sammi Malek of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.